Page 92 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

17626. Were the covers taken off the boats? - I could not say. 17627. Later on were you saved in the starboard collapsible boat? - I was. 17628. And did Captain Smith tell you to go into it? - Yes. 17629. Were you told to take charge of it? - No, I was not told to take charge because I was in charge. 17630. Who got into that boat? - The boat was partially full when I got into it; I had 53 women and 3 children in the stern. Chief Officer Wilde was asking for more women. There were none forthcoming, and two gentlemen got in. 17631. Who were the two gentlemen who got in? - One was Mr. Ismay. 17632. And who was the other? - I never saw the man before. 17633. You do not know his name now? - Well, I know by the papers. The Commissioner: Let me know his name. 17634. (The Attorney-General.) I think from the American evidence it is a Mr. Carter? - Yes; Mr. Carter. 17635. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) Did you know at the time that it was Mr. Ismay? - Yes. 17636. You had seen him about, had you? - Yes. 17637. How came it these two gentlemen came in? You said they got in. How came they to get in? - There were no more passengers in the vicinity to get in. 17638. Did anybody tell them to get in? - I never heard anybody. 17639. You did not hear anybody say, “Get into that boat”? - No. 17640. No officer? - No. 17641. They got in. This was the starboard collapsible boat? - Yes. 17642. Then was the boat lowered to the water? - It was lowered to the water, yes. 17643. When the boat got down to the water, how many people were in it? - 39. 17644. How was that number made up. Were there two gentlemen? - Yes. 17645. And how many crew? - Myself, three firemen and one steward. 17646. And the rest of the people were what? - What I thought were women and children. 17647. Did they prove to be women and children? - No, not at daybreak. 17648. Why? Tell me about that? - I found four Chinamen aboard. 17649. Where were they? - I could not see at the time. 17650. They were in the boat somewhere? - They were in there at daybreak. 17651. How they got in you do not know, I suppose? - No. 17652. (The Commissioner.) Were they all women and children, with the exception of three Chinamen? - Four Chinamen and Mr. Ismay and Mr. Carter. 17653. I have the two male passengers. Were the rest all women and children with the exception of the crew and the four Chinamen? - And the two gentlemen. 17654. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) How many women would that be? - I cannot say how many women, because there were children there as well - 28, I think. The Attorney-General: It would be 28 if he is right about the 39. Mr. Butler Aspinall: Mr. Pearcey, who was a third class pantry steward, gave evidence about this boat. He took the view that there were some 60 or 70 people in. I will give your Lordship the reference to that. It is page 231. He was a pantryman who, your Lordship will remember, picked up two babies on the way to the boat. The Commissioner: Yes. 17655. (Mr. Butler Aspinall.) He goes on at page 238 and sums it up at Question 10417, that there were “66 passengers and 5 of the crew - 71” - he took that view. (To the Witness.) You do not think there were as many? - I am certain. 17656. That boat remained in the water and none of the passengers were taken out, and all of them were put out of the collapsible into the “Carpathia”? - Yes.